“Yes. I remember. Hi.”
“I don’t think we’ve formally met,” the woman said. “Though I believe I’ve seen you once before. The day Stephen and I drove out to look at the property? Camila Tovarez, legal counsel for Trace Development.”
Drove out to look at the property?
“I was sorry to hear about your trouble,” Dave said, interrupting her thoughts as he turned and took in the mess.
“Thank you.”
“Though it could actually be seen as a good thing, silver linings and all that.”
Huh? “How could it be a good thing?”
He faced her, his eyes hidden behind sunglasses, as were the woman’s. “Less to bulldoze, less cost. And good for you as well.”
“I’m sorry. I’m not following you.”
“Well, the insurance. It’s not much, a pitiful amount really, and technically it should go to us since it was under contract before the fire. But we’re willing to defer to you. Help you relocate.”
His smug smile said he was pleased with himself, though she didn’t understand why. “Under contract?”
“Well, yes. You did know this property had fallen under intestacy laws and would be sold by the city? And you knew— Wait a minute. Stephen didn’t tell you?”
Hannah wiped the damp hair back from her forehead. It was hot, she was tired, and she wasn’t processing. “Tell me what?”
“Shit. I’m sorry. He should’ve told you. We bought the property, signed off on the deal weeks ago, though it just went through this morning. Frankly, I was surprised it didn’t cause trouble between you.”
Stephen bought the land? Stephen bought the—
“You look surprised, darling,” the woman crooned. “What did you think he was doing out here?”
Her fingers still gripped the rake, but she didn’t feel it. Everything in her focused on making sense of something that made no sense. She shook her head against the faint buzzing. “No. Stephen said they wouldn’t sell. He said we’d change their minds.”
Dave laughed softly. “Yes, well, even I was surprised at the lengths he went to, involving himself with your little horse fair. Gotta give him credit, though. You know Stephen.” He smiled, speaking to both women now. “Always gets what he wants. The man just doesn’t lose.”
Camila looked pointedly at her. “In this case, it was the land, honey. Not you.”
“It took some work, though the information you provided was helpful, maybe even essential,” Dave said. “The fact that there was no actual will.”
This wasn’t right. She wanted to tell him to go to hell, but she couldn’t move, had no choice but to listen.
“It’s going to be an airport,” Dave went on. “That’s in the contract, stipulation of sale and all that.” He waved it away like she wouldn’t understand the details. “Stephen will head up development and design. I think it’s just the kind of thing he could get creative with, don’t you? I know he’s been looking into new challenges, beyond buildings.”
She took a shaky step back, remembering Stephen’s soft bedroom eyes one morning as they’d talked about the future and those exact words had come out of his mouth. “But I just saw him.”
“That’s right,” Camila said, swatting a fly. “Did you sleep well last night? I always sleep like a baby in that big bed under the skylight.”
But he’d never brought anyone to his house before. Isn’t that what he’d said? Her hand tightened around the wooden handle. “But he was just out here. He wanted to…” Oh, God. He wanted to talk to her. Needed to talk to her. In person.
Dave adjusted his glasses. “It was signed just this morning. Ink’s not even dry. He must have wanted to tell you himself.”
This morning. The business at the door. This woman who knew she’d been there. Who said she’d also slept in that bed. She was going to be sick. Her mouth was so dry she couldn’t swallow, the air hot, and sweat slid down her spine.
She opened her hand, let the rake fall to the ground and started walking. Faster and faster, not looking back.
Chapter 44
Not true.
That’s what Hannah repeated to herself the entire way to Stephen’s office. She’d find him. She’d ask him and he’d tell her it wasn’t true. Because she couldn’t have fallen for an illusion again. She couldn’t have.
She parked, and numbly entered his building. Trace. His glass tower. His most important thing. A tribute to the woman he loved.
Was there anything he wouldn’t do to make it stronger? She scanned the ornate placard for his name and floor, walking past the receptionist as if in a dream. But she wasn’t disconnected. She was painfully aware.